Coimbatore: At least 64 villages in the district have been declared tobacco-free, thanks to the coordinated efforts of various departments, including the health department that led from the front
According to Dr M Saranya Devi, district consultant, tobacco control cell, health department, the initiative to identify the villages with no sale and consumption of tobacco products began in 2023, after consultations with the elected representatives of local bodies.
"We ensured that all the 64 village panchayats had passed resolutions against the sale and consumption of tobacco. We evaluated them based on 10 criteria.
We checked whether they had set tobacco control as an agenda item at the gram sabha meetings, appointed a village tobacco control ambassador designated by the president, organized at least two tobacco control activities every six months, and displayed information about the harmful effects of tobacco and the benefits of quitting in prominent places, among other things. Villages needed to score at least 80 marks out of 150 across these categories," she explained.
The health department also organized pledge-taking events, where villagers committed to abstaining from the sale and use of tobacco products. "After ensuring that there is no sale of tobacco products - both banned and permitted - and verifying that usage was curtailed, we declared the villages tobacco-free. We then placed banners at the entrance of these villages to give them credit for their achievement. The elected representatives are tasked with monitoring and maintaining this status," she said
D Ravi, panchayat president of Kurudampalayam, one of the tobacco-free villages, said, "During the process, we imposed fines on shops that violated the rules, made frequent announcements using loudspeakers, passed a resolution at the gram sabha meeting and informed shopkeepers about the ban.
Now, no shop sells tobacco products in our village. The health department team inspected our town and, after verification, declared it tobacco-free. We have also placed banners announcing this achievement at the prominent locations in the village."
At least 64 villages in the district have been declared tobacco-free, thanks to the coordinated efforts of various departments, including the health department that led from the front.
According to Dr M Saranya Devi, district consultant, tobacco control cell, health department, the initiative to identify the villages with no sale and consumption of tobacco products began in 2023, after consultations with the elected representatives of local bodies.
"We ensured that all the 64 village panchayats had passed resolutions against the sale and consumption of tobacco. We evaluated them based on 10 criteria.
We checked whether they had set tobacco control as an agenda item at the gram sabha meetings, appointed a village tobacco control ambassador designated by the president, organized at least two tobacco control activities every six months, and displayed information about the harmful effects of tobacco and the benefits of quitting in prominent places, among other things. Villages needed to score at least 80 marks out of 150 across these categories," she explained.
The health department also organized pledge-taking events, where villagers committed to abstaining from the sale and use of tobacco products. "After ensuring that there is no sale of tobacco products - both banned and permitted - and verifying that usage was curtailed, we declared the villages tobacco-free. We then placed banners at the entrance of these villages to give them credit for their achievement. The elected representatives are tasked with monitoring and maintaining this status," she said
D Ravi, panchayat president of Kurudampalayam, one of the tobacco-free villages, said, "During the process, we imposed fines on shops that violated the rules, made frequent announcements using loudspeakers, passed a resolution at the gram sabha meeting and informed shopkeepers about the ban.
Now, no shop sells tobacco products in our village. The health department team inspected our town and, after verification, declared it tobacco-free. We have also placed banners announcing this achievement at the prominent locations in the city."
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